"Take the money and run", "This has to be money laundering" - Fans go wild as Saudi Arabian side make £40 million offer for Liverpool star Fabinho

Football fans on Twitter have urged Liverpool to sell midfielder Fabinho amid reports of the club receiving a sizeable bid for him.

According to The Athletic's transfer news expert David Ornstein, Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad have made a £40 million bid for the Brazilian. Ornstein provided the update on Twitter on Thursday (July 13):

"Al-Ittihad set to make concrete bid to sign Fabinho from Liverpool for £40m. Expected to develop fast one way or other. Key issue for #LFC is letting No6 go without replacement but working on this - Romeo Lavia among multiple options."

The report was met with joy from a section, given Fabinho's struggles during the 2022-23 campaign. The midfielder looked off the pace on numerous occasions and was often bypassed with ease by opponents.

One fan wrote:

"liverpool should take the money and run"

Another tweeted:

"This has to be money laundering"

Here are some more reactions:

Fabinho would be Al-Ittihad's third high-profile signing of the summer. The Saudi Pro League club have signed Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante on free transfers.

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Fabinho struggled last season but has been key to Liverpool's recent success

As mentioned earlier, Fabinho struggled to put in consistent displays last season. He featured in 36 of Liverpool's 38 Premier League games, averaging 0.5 key passes, 1.0 interceptions, 1.8 tackles and 3.5 duels won per game. The midfielder also lost possession 6.9 times per match.

While not a lot of those were statistical drop-offs from his 2021-22 numbers, Fabinho didn't seem to be at his best. Lack of protection from a fairly new-look frontline also seemed to hurt his ability to mop up in front of defense. However, it's worth noting that the last campaign was an exception to the rule, as he has been excellent since arriving at Anfield.

Fabinho joined the Reds from AS Monaco in 2018 for around £43.7 million. Since then, he has played 219 times across competitions for Jurgen Klopp's side, scoring 11 goals and laying out ten assists.

The Brazilian played a starring role in their triumphs in the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Fabinho has proven to be worth the investment. If Liverpool sell him for the reported £40 million, they will recover most of the fee they paid for him.